Dress code: Christening

 

I recently organised my daughters Greta Zita Christening at my in laws country house just outside Rome. As I was going through the to-do list it suddenly doomed on me: what do you wear at a Christening? It's not a formal event as a wedding would be, it's not a casual party (especially if there's a Church celebration), so what is the perfect dress code for a (summer) Christening? Here are my thoughts:

• A lightweight day dress is almost certainly going to be appropriate
• Choose a luxe fabric like silk, lace panelling and brocade but stay away from chiffon which may look too eveningy
• A ditsy floral motif, dot or small print always looks romantic
• Don't overdo it with accessories
• Think about skirt length and arm coverage when planning a religious ceremony
• Opt for a flat rather than a heel- it looks much more modern and will definitely be more practical
• Think about your colour theme at the event and try to choose something that will somewhat go with the decor
• Stay away from white (too bridal) and black (too evening) think colour instead

Here's my top 5 demure Christening dresses

Tory Burch Isidor embroidered silk-organza dress £520

Marni Printed crepe dress £560

Roksanda Ilincic Pemberton wool-crepe dress €862 Now €258 Save 70%

Christopher Kane Dutch-print Princess dress (138138) €2,148 Now €859 Save 60%  

The answer for me came in the shape of a March by Marc Jacobs silk floral dress that I bought two years ago in the summer sales. I loved it so much I used it as a guide line when designing my own wedding dress, yet I hadn't worn it before and I was saving it for a special occasion. I thinks it was meant to be.. a oink dress for my daughters countryside Christening couldn't have been any more perfect.

If you have a girl and, like me, you want to wear pink, here are three reasonably priced dresses that I love

 

 

Custommade Laica dress  £149.00  £95.00

Whistles Gloria lace dress  £175.00  £100.00

Whistles Sculptured crepe dress  £135.00  £80.00

Diane Von Furstenberg Beyatta dress €390 Now €234 Save 40% 

And as a guest?

Same rules apply. An elegant midi skirt and peplum top combination would also look lovely. I recently went to a Christening of the daughter of a good friend of mine and I wore a silk pleated Chanel dress. 

 

My DIY Christening

We had Greta's Christening at home in the countryside just outside Rome. My mother in law made her amazing apricot jam which we then put in small "Quattro Stagioni" jars. Even though favours are not a typical thing for a Christening, I wanted all guests to take away a little memory of the day. I had labels made on Etsy and stuck them on each jar.

I then cut Liberty print fabric circles to make jam lids and tied with bakers twine.

 

I used three different prints and used the same to make bunting. With the left overs I made small ribbons and tied the cutlery for the table.

Fort the table decorations I used my mother in laws tin pots and pans, including a fabulous tea pot, as vases. The night before the event I went around the garden and picked up flowers which I then arranged on the tables.

 

I spent the week before the Christening making tissue paper ball for the pergola decorations. It's time consuming and a bit of a fiddle to hang, but I was really pleased with the result!

A few snaps from the day...

My tissue paper decorations

The sugared almond station using my mother in laws vintage scale

The jams table where guests could also leave a message for Greta

Visit my Pinterest page to see more of my Christening inspiration!